A monumental building with lion sculptures carved from the same marble that was used to build the Parthenon on Athens’s Acropolis is being excavated outside Aigio, a Greek town on the Peloponnese peninsula.

The dig, which began in early October, has largely focused on a structure that archaeologists believe comprised a shrine dedicated to a hero, known as a heroon. So far, researchers have uncovered parts of columns and a range of stone blocks, including a 55-foot-long section that ran along the structure’s southern side. The building has been dated to 300 B.C.E. based on the types of joints that were used.

The terrace of the monumental structure. Photo: Greek Ministry of Culture.

The site is connected with Rhypes, a city state in the coastal region of Achaea, that is mentioned in the writings of Aeschylus and Thucydides. It is believed Rhypes was destroyed by the Roman emperor Augustus in the 1st-century C.E. with the inhabitants forced to relocate to the nearby city of Patrae.

Gold figure found at the site outside the town of Aigio. Photo: Greek Ministry of Culture.

Inside the monument, archaeologists have so far found intact burials, a sarcophagus, and a trove of jewelry. This includes a pair of gold earrings with lion heads, a gold earring depicting the figure of Eros holding a scepter and wreath, two iron buttons wrapped in cloth, and a hold necklace.

“The offerings of the tombs inside the building are witnesses to the prosperity and high social status of their occupants,” the Greek Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

Marble carved in the form of a lion’s head. Photo: Greek Ministry of Culture.

Archaeologists also uncovered two lions sculptures. Though different in size, both were captured in a crouching position. They also found a funerary statue of a young male figure. All three works were made from Pentelic marble, a fine-grained, white marble that boasts a slight golden tint and comes from the mountains north of Athens.

Separately, researchers also found pottery from the 8th century B.C.E.

A stone artifact excavated at the site. Photo: Greek Ministry of Culture.

A heroon was typically dedicated to a heroic figure from Greek mythology or local legend at sites believed to be connected with the hero. It was a Greek tradition that spanned from roughly 800 B.C.E. through to the 1st-century C.E. of the Roman period.

The excavation is being led by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Achaia which hopes to continue work on the heroon after securing approval for a five-year program.